That's Very Me
by lilywood16
Summary: A badly injured girl appears in Donna's bedroom. Who is she? How does she know the Doctor? Will this girl called Emma change anything for the Doctor and the universe? (Doctor Who AU season 4)
1. Chapter 1

A brilliant blue flash of light lit up Donna's bedroom. The woman shrieked, jerking upright in bed and searching desperately for a weapon. She didn't have to worry. The figure dropped uselessly to the carpet, unconscious. Donna warily climbed from bed and grabbed a vase. She nudged the person and jumped back, as if expecting them to attack. The figure didn't move. Donna cautiously rolled the figure over. It was a girl, she was blonde, quite pretty, or she would have been, had it not been for the long cut down her face, four of them actually, making it hard to tell who she was. That wasn't all though. More claw like wounds were on her body. One from her shoulder across the top of her chest and a smaller wound across one arm. Bruising and angry, red, burned skin was visible. Donna was horrified. The girl grabbed Donna's arm suddenly. Donna nearly shrieked again.

"You can't take me to a hospital, please..." the girl lost her fight and sunk into unconsciousness. She had no clue what to do. She searched through the girl's pockets, looking for anything to identify or get help. She found a phone and a wallet. The wallet had a lot of cash, debit cards and IDs for different people shoved into it. The phone was dead, completely useless, but it didn't even look modern. Donna kept searching, looking for anything that would tell her what to do. Tucked in between the very last of the IDs were two heavily folded pictures. The edges were worn, telling Donna that the pictures were looked at often. The first was of the girl and two men, one in leather and the other in a World War II era coat. Both looked as if she was the most important thing in the universe. The second was of a familiar man and the girl, who wore a familiar top. Donna's throat went dry. On the back of the first picture was a phone number. She fumbled for her cell phone and called it.

* * *

Donna was beginning to panic when someone answered.

"Hello?" It all came out in a rush.

"Please, I don't know what else to do. She just appeared in my room and she's hurt and she said no hospitals and her phone is dead, the battery if not the thing itself and she had a picture with the number on the back and oh god! Please can you help."

"Slow down. Tell me again."

"There's a woman, she appeared in my hotel room, giant flash of light. She collapsed and only woke up enough to tell me not to take her to a hospital. But she's hurt, she's bleeding all over. I found your number on the back of a photograph in her wallet and didn't know who else to call."

"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't help..."

"Her name is Rose." Donna blurted and the man sucked in a sharp breath.

"Where are you?" Donna gave her address.

"You gotta name?"

"Donna Noble."

"I'm Jack, Captain Jack Harkness. I'll be there soon." Donna got dressed and did what she could to help the woman on her floor.

There was heavy knocking on her front door, waking up her grandfather and mother. Her mother screeched when she saw the girl in Donna's room. Donna jumped up when the man in the World War II coat strode in and knelt next to the girl. He tilted her head to face him.

"Rose... Oh god Rosie, what happened to you?" He said to himself. Donna held onto the girl's things as Jack carefully scooped her up into his arms. He carried her out into the kitchen, to look her over in better light.

"She wasn't wrong, these claws, too deep for any animal on earth and too sharp. And the burns look like metal-acid burns. It doesn't exist yet."

"How do we help her? Is there anyone we can call? A Doctor, someone must know about aliens, there has to be someone who can help." Jack smacked himself and hit speed dial on his phone.

"Martha, please tell me you're in London, I have an emergency."

"Donna give her the address." She did, rattling off the address to the woman on the phone." She handed it back to Jack.

"Change of plans, meet me at UNIT, she's gonna need more than average modern medical care." Jack once again scooped the woman up.  
"Donna, you're with me." Jack settled Rose into the backseat of his SUV, Donna steadying her. He drove at breakneck speed, careening onto the sidewalk in front of a building marked as Unified Intelligence Taskforce. Donna rushed ahead to get the doors open. The woman at the desk gawked at their appearance before a dark skinned woman dashed out from a side hallway.

"Jack! This way!" He headed after the woman at a swift pace.

The dark skinned woman had Jack lay the girl on a medical table before she told him to get out. Donna was roped into being her assistant. The woman worked furiously, using things Donna knew had to be alien. Finally she stood back from the blonde girl, sighing in relief. She shooed Donna outside to get the girl cleaned up. When the door opened again, Jack looked up apprehension. The woman, Martha gave him a smile.

"She'll be fine Jack." He relaxed and entered.

"Who is she?" Martha asked, standing near the counter.

"She's Rose." Martha crashed into a tray of medical tools sending them crashing to the floor.

"That's Rose, Rose Tyler. What the bloody hell happened!?"

"I don't know, Donna called, told me Rose just appeared in her bedroom. Told her no hospitals and passed out."

"I can imagine. Jack..." Her hesitation made him tense up.

"Martha..." He said, warning clear in his tone.

"Jack. Not all of her injuries were caused by an alien."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of her injuries, they were consistent with abuse, torture even, human torture." Jack gripped the edge of the bed tightly.

"You think..."

"Based on the evidence, Rose Tyler has been consistently tortured for the last 3 years."

"Right after she said goodbye." Jack said hoarsely. "I'm going to kill him."

"The Doctor?" Donna asked. They both turned to look at her.

"You've met him?"

"Ruined my wedding, but he did save my life I suppose... Been trying to find him." Martha and Jack exchanged glances, but said nothing.  
It was four days before she woke up. In a room more like a bedroom than a hospital, but still she woke up panicking. Jack was there in an instant, calming her down. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his jacket. He met Martha's worried eyes, his eyes saying the same thing. She was hurt, in more ways than one. Rose seemed to calm down pretty quickly, but she wasn't the same Rose Jack had known. She seemed to constantly want human contact, but only from people she knew. She seemed to know who Martha and Donna were, and treated them like old friends. Jack almost called Sarah Jane, but Rose had nearly broken down in tears. They kept her in the infirmary for a week and a half, before she went home with Donna. She seemed to know who Wilfred was too. Wilfred saw instantly how damaged she was, physically and emotionally. He instantly took the blonde girl in, helping her. Rose healed slowly, her physical state often reflecting her mental state. Some days were better and some days were worse. It took a month and a half for her body to heal, another for Rose to get comfortable, to feel safe. She continued to stay with Donna in Chiswick, even after Jack went back to Cardiff. It wasn't long after that Jack, Donna and Martha came to learn three things. One, she still loved the Doctor, two, Rose's hair was both naturally wavy and a dark red-brown color and three, she didn't want to be Rose anymore, she had another name, Emma Smith. It was the name on one of her IDs. When she was asked why that name, her answer was heartbreaking.

"Emma, it's the name mum and Tony used when they phoned my in secret. Smith, well that should be obvious. She held out the psychic paper. Jack's breath caught. The fake name the Doctor had always used was engraved on the cover. And on the inside, in the Doctor's handwriting, obviously his last thoughts, were some of the most heartbreaking words ever.  
 _Rose Tyler, I love you, for as long as my forever shall last and even after that._  
Jack hugged Rose tightly.

"Alright Emma, I think I understand sort of. You don't want him to know it's you, not at first."

"No, as much as I love him, I'm not the same person, if we tried, I'm not sure that we both wouldn't end up miserable." Jack kissed her forehead.

"Alright, I'll miss you Rosie" Rose smiled slightly as he and Martha left. Donna gave her an odd look. Rose smiled.

"I'm Emma Oswin Smith, would you be opposed to a little investigating, Donna Noble?" Donna grinned and linked arms with her.

"Absolutely not!"


	2. Chapter 2

The next several months had them chasing disaster across the globe. It turned out Rose had a good chunk of her father's fortune kept in this universe, on her debit card. She was quite literally an heiress who used her funds well. Some went towards her identity, her wardrobe and her and Donna's travels.

She and Donna were in London, investigating a diet pill company called Adipose. Emma had explained that she knew a lot about people, due to Bad Wolf. She remembered the event, but not the information besides that which was vital that she know, like who Martha and Donna were. She had a general understanding of a good majority of the universe, like the Doctor, but she had a lot more details to deal with.

Emma and Donna were pretending to be health inspectors. The checked everything and got a list of names and a pendant each for their troubles. Emma had proved herself adept with mechanics in the last few months, and had managed to earn her A-levels in the last year she'd been there. Donna was her closest girl friend, and they worked well together as partners. This should have been no different. They snuck back in at night to try and figure out what was going on. Emma had gone to the check further while Ms Foster was occupied with the reporter. She wandered into the stairwell only to be knocked over by someone. She nearly fell backwards. It was only Donna's appearance that saved her.

"Doctor!" Donna said hugging him excitedly.

"Donna! How did you even..."

"Donna." Emma interrupted, "Run." Donna grinned and the girls raced up the stairs to the roof, the Doctor charging after them. They all had to climb into the basket.

"I opened the window above Ms Foster's office, we can get back in that way."

"Sorry, who are you?" The Doctor asked while Emma helped Donna through the window. Ms Foster had her speech and the Doctor ended up with a sonic pen, which he tucked behind Emma's ear before she shoved him through the window. She climbed in after.

"This is Emma Oswin Smith, she's a friend. Been living with me for a year. She's been helping me look for you."

"Yeah, hopping from disaster to disaster." Emma muttered, hurrying them along. It didn't matter. The Doctor snatched the pen back and then when they finally escaped, had to endure Emma's threats and curses at him for such a stupid move. She snatched the pen back, putting it behind her ear again. The three of them ran all over London and the Adipose plant. Emma knew there was something she was forgetting, the three of them were crowded in the closet, desperately trying to stop the conversion. Emma smacked her forehead. She yanked out her necklace and shoved the Doctor to the side, wiring hers and then Donna's pendants in. The Doctor was looking at her, grinning madly.

"Emma Smith, you're brilliant!" He said kissing her forehead. She blushed vividly and they were racing around again, trying to save Ms Foster, they couldn't convince her in time. As they walked outside, Donna spoke.

"I must have been mad to turn down that offer."

"What offer?"

"To come with you."

"Come with me?"

"Oh yes, please!"

"Right."

"You're not saying much." Donna noticed.

" No, it's just- It's a funny old life. In the TARDIS."

"You don't want me." Her face fell.

"I'm not saying that."

"But you asked me. would you rather be on your own?"

"No. Actually no. But. The last time, with Martha-like I said, it got complicated. And that was all my fault. I just want a mate."

"You just want to mate?!"

"I just want a mate."

"Well you're not mating with me, sunshine!"

"A mate! I just want a mate."

"Well it's just as well, because I'm not having any of that nonense. I mean...you know what, you can have Emma."

"Donna!" Emma said, blushing furiously. The Doctor was mirroring her blush, looking like a tomato.

"Donna, that's not what I..."

"Oh don't bother, she'll be ribbing you about it for weeks." Emma said. He gave her a rather odd look.

"Emma? Do you want to come, in the TARDIS?" Emma stopped dead, looking surprised at his question.

"Uh, why?"

"Why not?"

"What's so impressive about your blue box?" She asked crossing her arms. He gave her a grin.

"She's my ship, and yes she is alive. She's called the Tardis, time and relative dimension in space."

"You have a ship the travels in time and space?" She was grinning, looking excited.

Donna looked smug when she shoved one suitcase at Emma. Emma gawked at her.

"You took all my clothes!" Donna grinned at her as she and the Doctor dragged Donna's bag inside. The Tardis's humming changed. She seemed to like Donna, Emma, she absolutely loved the girl, making Emma all the more fascinating to him.

* * *

There was something Emma was hiding. Oh he saw the scars and he knew he would have to ask about that too, but he hesitated because even though she hid it well, he could still see the pain in her eyes. He imagined his eyes looked much the same sometimes too. He could practically see the weight of the secrets she held pressing down on him. He knew several times the Tardis would divert all her attention to Emma, and could sense his ship calming the girl. He had no idea why her past was so painful, but he wished he could help her. He was coming to learn that sharing the burden lessened the weight. The had been on a few minor adventures before they found themselves on Eden Prime. It was supposed to be a relaxing trip, but quickly became more awkward than anything else. The guests kept trying to cut Donna's hair as a souvenir and the spa workers had gotten mixed up. They kept locking Emma and the Doctor in the same room together, which never lasted long. After finally escaping from the basement, they decided they were done on Eden Prime. The next planet was a war torn place. Many people were tortured and killed in front of them before they were able to stop it. They helped to get a treaty started and left soon after. Emma woke up with nightmares and ventured into the library, unable to sleep. She'd nearly started crying when a blanket she had claimed as hers appeared on the couch. She wrapped it tightly around herself, finding comfort in something so familiar. She simply stared into space, curled up on her old spot on the couch. She didn't have a book or even a gossip rag like Donna read.

He stopped dead when he saw the figure on _her_ spot on the couch, wrapped up in her blanket. He didn't even know why there was a couch there, it had been gone for awhile. He didn't really even want Emma touching Rose's blanket, but the way Emma had it pulled around her, it reminded him of her. She had always wrapped the blanket tightly as if it could offer her some kind of comfort. He thought back, remembering how the people had been tortured before them on the last planet. Emma was quiet usually, but she kept him company in the console room, speaking occasionally. She had been silent today, she didn't eat much and he hadn't thought anything of it until now. He could see her shaking, she wasn't alright, not at all. Before he could go to her, the Tardis was there again, soothing the girl, trying to calm her desperately. The Tardis reached out for him.

 _Help her, thief, please._

He was shocked by the Tardis's pleading. She liked Emma, possibly even as much as Rose, but he didn't know how to help her. The Tardis sent him an image of him hugging someone, who that was, was blurry. He started forward until he was in front of Emma. He put his hands on top of hers.

"Em, Emma, what's wrong?" He asked softly. She refused to look up, letting her hair hide her face from him. He pushed her hair back and saw the tears on her cheeks. She was beautiful, even with her scars. She looked a lot like Rose actually. He had already risen, pressing her face into his shoulder. She still shook silently, her tears wetting his jacket and the shirt under it. He didn't mind, if it helped her, it was worth it. When he got her calmed down enough, she finally told him. Well, it was more of him having to infer and her nodding or shaking her head. Finally, she spoke.

"It was a reminder." He brushed her scars in question, she shook her head.

"I was pulled into a different universe..." She began slowly, he didn't react, just kept rubbing circles into her back. "The earth there, they knew I was different, wanted to know why, and how. I didn't know, but they thought..."

"The thought you did."

"The hurt me, trying to get an answer, but I escaped, I hid for awhile, with a woman, she helped me, but something happened. These things all over, everywhere, reapers. They couldn't eat me, spit me out, back into this great big empty place. Nothing there, nothing and then these happened." She said tracing the scars on her face, her chest, her arms.

"It was a wolf, it attacked me and then I slammed into this blue light, ended up in Donna's bedroom." He grinned a little at her amused expression. "Scared her half to death. Man in a great big blue coat, about sixty years out of date shows up, Jack, I think. Took me to a woman called Martha. They both patched me up. And I've been living with Donna."

"You've met Jack and Martha, what'd you think of Jack?"

"He's Jack. Does he always flirt with everyone?" The Doctor burst into laughter at Emma's innocent question.

"He's Jack, he flirts with anything, human, alien or otherwise." Emma looked slightly disturbed. He chuckled again. She was quiet again.

"You know Jack and Wilfred call me Em."

"Really? Why?" Emma shrugged. "Do you mind it?"

"No, not really. I like it better than Emma sometimes." He grinned and they spent the rest of the night laughing and talking.

* * *

Their next trip was Pompeii. Donna was doing everything to try and warn people, Emma stuck close to the Doctor at first, before wandering off at some point. She showed up later, looking slightly worse for the wear, dragging Donna after her. She looked irritated, beyond irritated actually.

"Hold on a minute, just thought of this. That sign over there's in English." Donna said suddenly.

"Ah, no, no, no. That's the Tardis translation circuits. Makes it look like English. Speech too. You're talking in Latin right now." Donna didn't look fazed.

"What if I said something in actual Latin? Like "veni, vidi, veci." What would it sound like?"

"Er, I'm not sure. You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?"

"You sound Welsh." Emma said shortly. "And where are we?"

"Have you been here before?" Donna asked.

"Mm. Ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit."

"Wait a minute. One mountain. With smoke. Which makes this-"

"Pompeii. We're in Pompeii. And it's Volcano Day."

"So much for alarm clocks," Emma muttered and the Doctor turned to see her, but she wasn't looking at him.

"You're kidding. Don't tell me the TARDIS is gone." Donna said, realizing where they'd parked was an empty place.

"Okay." The Doctor said obligingly.

"Where is it?"

"You told me not to tell you." He said in exasperation. Emma sighed and began questioning people nearby. The Doctor, internally winced when she took her ire out on the unfortunate shop keeper and had to step in before she slapped the man. He eyed how quiet Donna was and how well Emma was making up for her silence.

"When did the two of you switch personalities?" Donna glared at him and Emma gave him an irritated look. He held up his hands in surrender. While they tracked down the Tardis, they met Caecilius, who had purchased the Tardis as a modern art piece. Emma and Donna slipped inside to change and Donna returned first. Caecilius found them then.

"Who are you?"

"I am Spartacus." The Doctor told him.

"And so am I." Donna added.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?" Donna and the Doctor looked horrified.

"Oh no no no. We're not married."

"We're not together."

"Oh! Brother and sister. Yes, of course. You look very much alike."

"Really?" They asked together, just as Emma appeared.

"This must be your wife, Mrs. Spartacus." Emma looked confused, but blushed anyway.

"No, I'm just a friend." Emma said quickly before Donna could embarrass her and the Doctor. "I'm Emma."

"Can I get you anything?"

"Just the box." Emma said pointing, "it's ours." But then the rest of the family had appeared and things got difficult, a mystery had to present itself.

"Can we change it, stop Pompeii being destroyed?" Donna asked.

"Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens, happens." The Doctor said shortly. Emma was back to her normal quiet self again. Donna was trying to warn them about the volcano, but they didn't understand.

"They don't know what it is. Vesuvius is just a mountain for them, the top hasn't blown off yet. The Romans haven't even got a word for "volcano". Not until tomorrow."

"Oh great, they can learn a new word. As they die."

"Donna, stop it!"

"Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flying around with in outer space but you're not telling me to shut up. That boy-how old is he, 16? And tomorrow he burns to death."

"And that's my fault?"

"Right now, yes." Emma was silent as they returned to Caecilius's house. There was a man there now.

"Oh Lucius this is Spartacus and his sister and Emma."

"Hello." The Doctor said cheerfully. Donna was arguing with him again soon.

"They're laughing at us. Those two. They use words like tricksters. They're mocking us." Evelina said.

"No no. I meant no offense."

"But she is quiet and sees more."

"I'm sorry, my daughter's been consuming the vapors."

"By the gods, Mother. What have you been doing to her?" Her brother clearly didn't approve.

"Not now, Quintus." His father said.

"Yeah, but she's sick. Just look at her!"

"I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift." Lucius spoke up.

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions." Evelina's mother said, proud.

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception." Lucius said pompously.

"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." Donna snapped, and Emma hid a smile.

"The mountain god marks your words. I'd be careful if I were you."

"Consuming the vapors, you say."

"They give me strength." The girl said dreamily.

"It doesn't look like it to me."

"Is that your opinion. As a doctor?"

"I beg your pardon."

"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of fables."

"Oh, not this time, Lucius. No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed."

"Is that so, Man from Gallifrey? Doctor, she has returned."

"Who is? Who's she?"

"And you, Daughter of London. There is something behind you."

"What's that mean?" He only smirked at Emma.

"And you, the woman that lies." Emma looked unfazed. The next few hours were a mess. And Evelina gave another prophecy.

"A choice. Someone must make a choice. The most terrible choice." She looked frightened, and she was staring at the Doctor. And then they discovered the pyrovines.

"If the aliens are causing it, you can stop it right?"

"No, some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed."

"How do you know which is which?"

"Because that's how I see the Universe. Every waking second I can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not. That's the burden of the Time Lord, Donna. And I'm the only one left." Emma looked sad when he said that. And then all three were running through Vesuvius, being chased by Pyrovines, and the Doctor didn't want to do this, but he had to know.

"Yeah, I should warn you. It's 70% water out there."

"Water can boil. And everything will burn, Doctor."

"Then the whole planet is at stake. Thank you. That's all I needed to know." His face was hard, something Emma had never seen before on him. They were running, dashing into the Tardis and Donna was yelling. Emma agreed, but she knew that wouldn't help.

"You can't just leave them!"

"Don't you think I've done enough! History's back in place and everyone dies." He said bitterly. It reminded Emma of her own words so long ago, _all things die, everything comes to dust,_ she flinched.

"You've got to go back! Doctor, I'm telling you! Take this thing back! It's not fair!"

"No it's not." He said suddenly tired.

"Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone."

"Doctor, look at yourself. Refusing to save someone you could. You say you never believed in non-interference." Emma said speaking for the first time in so long. He stared at her in shock. She was right. He went back to save them.

"You were right. Sometimes I need someone. Welcome aboard, both of you."

"Yeah." Donna said noncommittally. Emma merely smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

_Rose_. She seemed to be haunting him. Everywhere they went reminded him of her. God he missed her, more than he thought he would ever miss a companion. Rose had never been just a companion he knew, she was more than that. He knew, had known for a long time that he loved her, since the moment she proved herself to be smarter than the average ape. The moment he'd saved her life. It was getting worse and worse. The longer he was apart from her the worse it got. He finally got better when Donna and Emma began traveling with him. Emma knew exactly what to say to him to make him change his mind, to convince him to make the right choice. And Donna, she was good for keeping his ego in check. She could knock him down when he needed it. Of the two, often Emma's way of doing things, of convincing him was more effective, because she was right, but the things she said hurt. He knew she could see that they hurt. She would look almost as if she would rather be doing something, anything else than using his faults, his ideals, his history against him. The thing that hurt more than what she said, was the emotions in her eyes. It was so clear to him, that she was worried or angry or shocked, but when she had to use her words against him, he saw disappointment, disbelief, betrayal and sadness. He hated that he had done something to cause her to lose her faith or trust in him, in what they did. He worked so very hard to make the right decisions, to do the right things. He had become bitter after Rose, unfeeling and uncaring. Emma especially seemed hellbent on making him feel something even if it was guilt or grief or anger. It took him awhile to settle in around her because she was so like Rose, trying to heal his wounds, not worrying about her own. She was so selfless and he wished he could be the same. There were dreams sometimes, of Emma and Rose together, always they were friends, always with him. There were times he wished so badly to have Rose with him, but as he grew closer to Emma, he thought of Rose, less and less often. It honestly scared him some. And then Emma found a picture. Rose was lying on him and he looked so serious, but Emma had looked into his eyes.

"Who is she? I can tell you love her."

"Her name is Rose. She's human, and she's gone."

"What was she like?" Her honestly curious expression made him cave and he began with the story.

"There she was, all yellow and pink. I took her hand and said one word. _Run_." He spoke as if he loved her still, and it made Emma smile sadly. He told her the entire story of Rose Tyler from the beginning to the very heartbreakingly sad end. Emma stopped to ask questions and giggled sometimes. She looked disapproving when he had mentioned inviting Mickey onboard and had swatted him over the head. It took days for him to tell her. They went on another adventure only to have Emma storm in halfway through the presentation and effectively end Ood slavery. She started accusing Mr. Halpen of quite horrible things. She was angrier than she had been in Pompeii when that shopkeeper sold the Tardis and she had been livid then. She was yelling at the man who was paling steadily.

"You've been forcing them into slavery!"

"They were made for it!"

"MADE FOR IT?!" Emma thundered. "They're born with their brains in their hands you stupid ape! You cut off their brains, stitch on a translator! They're born being vulnerable and you take advantage, you make me sick!" Emma showed them the unprocessed Ood and then they saved the Ood brain from Mr. Halpen.

"The message has gone out. That song resonated across the galaxies, everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home." The Doctor said, an arm thrown over Emma's shoulders.

"We thank you, Doctor, Donna, Emma. Friends of Oodkind. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you." Ood Sigma asked.

"Oh, I've... sort of got a song of my own, thanks." He said scratching the back of his head.

"I think your song must end soon." The Ood said looking at the Doctor and Emma.

"Meaning?"

"Every song must end." _For only then can another begin._

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna yelled excitedly.

"No, neither can I. Oh oh, careful! Left hand down, left hand down!" He shouted. Emma slammed the lever down just in time. "Getting a bit too close to the 1980s."

"What am I going to do, put a dent in 'em?" Donna said, completely sarcastic.

"Well someone did." A cell phone rang and all three froze before Emma reached forward and passed the phone to the Doctor. He looked interested by what was being said. Emma managed to avoid a supernova, knocking Donna out of the way in her efforts. Emma was dashing around the console, Donna trying to get out of her way. Emma tripped over Donna's strategically placed foot and crashed into the Doctor. The Tardis took that moment tilt wildly sideways before landing, sending both the Doctor and Emma flying out the doors. The Doctor landed on his back, Emma on his chest. She was blushing bright red and stammering apologies. They heard both Donna and Martha burst into laughter. Emma climbed off the Doctor who was blushing, but still grinning at Emma.

"Who was driving?" Martha asked chuckling. Emma blushed and Martha's eyes widened.

"He let you..."

"Er...he was busy, and there was a supernova and well...yeah." The Doctor looked proud.

"Emma, that was brilliant!" He scooped her into a giant hug before rushing to Martha to hug her too.

"So, what's up?" Emma asked. Martha gave the girl a look.

"We have a bit of a situation." Martha said delicately before raising a radio and speaking into it. They watched as UNIT swept over the factory before them.

"Is that what you did to her? Turned her into a soldier?" Donna asked him. Emma visibly winced, briefly drawing the Doctor's attention.

"I was a soldier once Donna." Emma said. All three turned to stare at her in shock.

"You..." Donna didn't finish as Martha put a hand on her shoulder in understanding.

"Some of us have got to stay behind. So we've got to work from the inside. And by staying inside maybe we stand a chance of making them better." Martha said softly. Emma nodded and took a deep breath. They were lead to the mobile command center where the Doctor balked at getting a salute.

"I've read all the files on you. Technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned." Colonel Mace said.

"What, you used to work for them?" Donna asked, clearly not expecting the answer.

"Yeah, long time ago. Back in the seventies. Or was it the eighties? But it was all a bit more homespun back then." Emma was studying something she probably wasn't supposed to be, making the Doctor grin. Donna was busy yelling about the way the workers were being treated. Martha had him looking at the Atmos device. Emma peered over his shoulder and gasped. She snatched it up and soon had it disassembled. She was frowning down at a vial. She proved her point, breaking the vial and dropping it into a mouse's cage. The mouse died and she lit a match, dropping it in. The gas caught fire and burned up. The Doctor was giving Emma a strange look. Realization dawned on him, visible on his face.

"You've seen this before." He realized. Emma nodded stiffly. She had noticed something odd about Martha. She'd disappeared at one point and came back acting strangely. Emma silently crept down an abandoned hall. Two men stood guard over a room. Emma took a great breath and allowed a tiny trendle of gold light escape her fingertips. It wound toward the men, who were both knocked unconscious. Emma hurried forward into the room and gasped. Martha was hooked to a machine of complex wires and electrodes. Emma rushed forward and carefully untangled her. She caught Martha and dragged her back. Elsewhere, the Martha duplicate fell into a puddle of white goop. The real Martha started awake, clawing at Emma, who tried to shush her. She froze, recognizing Emma. Emma pulled her sweater dress off, leaving herself in a tank top and leggings. Martha pulled it over herself and Emma attempted to get her out. A screen fuzzed and a potato like creature appeared.

"Halt intruder!" Emma sighed and turned, gold eyes flashing. The creature looked at her oddly.

"You're something different." Emma grinned ferally.

"I am." She slashed a hand and gold exploded and she made her escape with Martha hobbling slowly beside her. When they entered the main hanger, guns were immediately trained on them.

"Put that down!" Emma snapped, go find a doctor, not the Doctor. Miss Jones needs to be examined for injuries." The private sputtered, but did what she said. The doctor arrived before the Doctor and Donna did. He looked relieved to see them both. He hugged Martha and then hugged Emma to him tightly. She was whispering something, obviously not good news. The Doctor glowered, and decided it was high time to visit the inventor of Atmos. He, Emma and a soldier named Ross went. Luke Rattigan was expecting them. While they traded insults, Emma and Ross sighed.

"Oi!" Emma finally called. They both shut up.

"If you two are done comparing IQs?" Luke smirked at the Doctor, but Emma towered over him.

"I said _enough_. Now what is this? Looks like a...no..." She whirled on Luke. " _What have you done_?" Luke's smile dropped into confusion as did the Doctor. Ross seemed like he was starting to understand. "Great big brains, the both of you, and neither of you can see what's wrong?"

"What?"

"Oh, I should have known! Sontaran technology Doctor! _Sontaran_!" It was a mad dash back to UNIT. They had to lose the jeep, and run the rest of the way. It had already started, the poison gas filtering everywhere. It was wrecking havoc on even the Doctor's lungs. And then the massacre. Poor Ross, brilliant Ross died because Mace was too stubborn to pull back. The Doctor was furious, yelling at Mace, and then Martha had an idea.

"Doctor, the Valiant. You can use it to clear the air over UNIT." He grinned at his former companion.

"And there are weapons on-board." Emma smacked her forehead.

"I got it!" She cried, waving paper around delightedly. " the gas, the 10% we couldn't identify, it's Caesofine concentrate. Clonefeed. It's clonefeed!" The Doctor's eyes lit up.

"Ooh. Oh, oh, oh. I got it! Atmospheric converter. At Rattigans!" The Doctor said. And the Doctor noticed, Emma and the Tardis were gone. Martha's phone rang.

"Make them mad." And then she hung up. The Doctor grinned excitedly and that worried Martha and Donna both.

In the end it was Luke Rattigan that destroyed the Sontaran ship. Emma was slightly upset about it too. While the Doctor helped cleanup, she got started on prep work. She handed the letter off to Wilfred to send after the Earth was stolen. She made sure her identity was foolproof and then she gathered her stuff, moving it to where she was staying. She made sure nothing would remind her until the end.

Martha came to say goodbye, hugging all three of them. And Emma felt the Tardis begin to move. Something was happening. They were all tossed around and Martha was yelling at the Doctor unnecessarily.


	4. Chapter 4

The Tardis took off without warning. Emma stumbled and grabbed the rail. She tumbled backward out the open door when they landed and the door slammed behind her. The Doctor was tugging at the door and then trying to get the monitor to work. Nothing happened, and then Emma screamed. Emma never screamed. The door was torn open and the Doctor was there in an instant, wrenching her away from some soldiers. She in clung to him, even as they decided to process him instead. In the end, the Doctor admitted it was his daughter and Emma didn't bother to correct him. Didn't tell him the machine had taken some of her blood too. She did resent him for claiming that Jenny wasn't a Time Lord. She was a shadow of his race. She was silent, glaring at him from the corner of their cell. Martha had been lost on the other side of the cave in. Emma was worried, but not terribly so. Martha could take care of herself. She was about to snap at the Doctor when Donna said her piece. She pressed the stethoscope against both sides of Jenny's chest and then held it out to the Doctor. His face was dark and then shock overtook his features.

"Two hearts." Emma asked and he nodded. She smiled at Jenny and held up the Doctor's screwdriver. He gaped at her.

"When did you learn how to pick pockets?" Emma only smiled sweetly. Jenny grinned as Emma whispered something to her. The Doctor disliked the way Jenny and Emma went about getting their guard closer. Donna smirked at his discomfort. Emma took one look at his expression, nearly pouting, and grinned before kissing him on the cheek. Jenny giggled when he blushed, turning crimson. They wound their way through the tunnels, following the numbers Donna had noticed. They thought they were dates of completion. They reached a hallway marked by red beams, lasers. The Doctor could turn them off for a moment with his screwdriver. General Cain was there shooting at them. Jenny was shooting back and Emma stopped with her. Trying to convince her this was wrong. The lasers snapped back into place. The Doctor sounded panicked as he shouted for Emma and Jenny both. They both ducked down and Jenny became the first person Emma told her secret.

"You aren't completely his daughter. There was already someone else's blood in the progenerator." Jenny's mouth fell open.

"I have a mum?" She asked, eyes bright. Emma held up her hand. There was a line across the back, dried blood smeared over it. Jenny met her eyes.

"Mum?" There were tears in her eyes. Emma pulled her into a quick hug.

"Shh... Jenny. There are things I have to tell you. You can't tell anyone, no one."

"Okay."

"Has he told you anything?"

"I have two hearts."

"Yes, I meant about his past."

"He mumbled something, about looking like a rose." Emma smiled sadly."He lost her, didn't he?"

"Not entirely. She came back, but he doesn't know. It's not hard. She's different now."

"You're Rose."

"Rose Tyler, completely unique. Human with Time Lord characteristics, best there is." Jenny giggled and they heard Cain shouting.

"I used to do gymnastics, my DNA in you should mean you can make it across. I need a distraction, make the right choice Jenny." Emma jumped. Running for the lasers. The Doctor looked horrified. Jenny shot and steam exploded, they both ran, leaping and flipping through to the other side. Emma scowled at the lock of hair that had been fried off. Jenny giggled, as the Doctor scolded them both. He was desperately thankful to Emma for getting Jenny back to him, for convincing her to make the right choice. Emma linked arms with Jenny, soon they were giggling like old girlfriends. Donna was whispering to him. He was painfully aware of the children, his family, all that he had lost. Surprisingly, there loss seemed dulled in comparison to _her's_. He flinched as Emma touched his arm. They were here.

Terra-forming, that was the great weapon. Emma wanted to slap someone. She saw Cain, just as Jenny did. She shoved the Doctor and Jenny back. The bullet ripped through her side, bringing fiery pain. Emma felt Jenny catch her. The Doctor was yelling, screaming in anger.

Jenny sat, cradling Emma to her chest. Emma's eyes were soft.

"I'll be okay." Jenny was crying and the Doctor looked furious. Martha bent to check her over. She frowned in confusion, seeing Emma's hand. Her eyes went wide as she glanced between Emma and Jenny.

"Doctor, Emma needs to get back to the Tardis. Jenny and I can take her back. He nodded.

"Donna and I will wrap up here."

As soon as they got within fifteen feet of the Tardis, the door slammed open. Emma inhaled golden light and coughed a few times, she straightened and her wound was gone. Martha looked at her strangely.

"She always liked you better." Emma gave her an apologetic smile.

"I'm connected to her, I've seen her heart Martha, of course she likes me better." She said cheekily. Martha grinned at her. Her grin faltered and she spoke low.

"Emma, Rose, when are you going to..."

"When he thinks he's lost everything, I'll be there waiting. I can't reveal myself sooner than that."

"He misses you I think, but he seems to feel something for Emma too. He's falling for you again, I can see it." Emma smiled sadly. They had all planned out their lie, they'd used a dermal re-generator to heal Rose. Martha had the bullet as proof. Jenny stole the rocket and an extra cell phone, off to explore and save the universe. She wanted to travel on her own for awhile, and although he didn't like it, the Doctor had let her go. They all climbed into the Tardis, and took Martha back home to London.

* * *

He was falling in love with Emma. Even the pain of losing Rose couldn't make him stop himself from falling for her. She was so like Rose sometimes, and yet other times so different. He had never stared at Emma, he was wary of somehow offending her. She noticed him trying not to stare, but he seemed to study her all the time now. It was as if he had to know everything about her. She dreaded the day he would ask about her family. She didn't think she could take the pain again. She'd outlived them all, stayed exactly the same. She wasn't like the Doctor and she wasn't like Jack either. She just didn't age.

The Doctor saw something, a tattoo on the back of Emma's shoulder. She was asleep on her stomach in a resort chair. Her shoulder blade bore a mark, several actually, characters of some sort that were unreadable even to him. He wondered what they meant and what language they were in. They were on the planet midnight, Donna had wanted to be there and he and Emma hadn't argued with her. The two of them were going on a bus tour later. Right now, he let Emma sleep. She was beautiful while she slept, less guarded, her pain didn't seem to marr her features as often, she was relaxed. He woke her up with enough time to get dressed for the bus trip. She did and came back in something familiar, in the most painful way. It was a battered Tardis-blue leather jacket. He tried to hide the flash of pain, but she saw it.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" She asked cupping his cheek, eyes earnest and concerned.

"Your jacket, she, she had one just like it."

"I'm so sorry, I can..." She began beginning to shrug it off.

"No!" He cried, stopping her. "I mean, please wear it if you'd like." She gave him a soft look and took his hand pulling him with her. It wasn't far into the bus ride that things went wrong. It killed a woman named Skye and was repeating everything. It was only repeating the Doctor and Emma soon. He was curious, but not outright concerned until Emma cried out in pain, dropping to her knees.

"My god, it's horrible. It's trying to get in my head!" She whimpered. "Doctor, it hurts." He knew what was going on. And he was furious that they wanted to throw off Emma and Skye both. The stewardess took it into her own hands, taking Skye out the door with her. Emma gasped, looking around frantically. She was shaking and he knelt and pulled her roughly into his chest. For a moment she held herself still, unwilling to break. She held until it was just him and her in the console room. He had been waiting and now he saw her crack and shatter. She nearly fell to the grating, but he caught her. Her sobs were loud and painful, shaking her entire body. He scooped her up, pulling her into his lap. His presence seemed to help, she managed to calm herself, but wouldn't hold it for long. He carried her to her room and laid down with her, holding her desperately tight. She finally drifted off, whimpering into his chest every so often. He held her all through the night. Donna knocked on the door mid-morning and then pushed it open. The Doctor had Emma laying on him, her head burrowed into his shoulder, fingers of one hand firmly holding onto his shirt. He had one arm wrapped around her waist. The other held a book which clearly wasn't his. It was a Charles Dickens book, but in silver sharpie was a name. Rose Tyler. He had set down the book to look at Donna.

"Is she, is she alright?"

"Something decided to mess around in her head, she's having a rough time of it. Her thoughts, emotions, memories are all messed up. When she wakes up, I'm taking her to the zero room to help her heal." Donna turned to leave and then turned back.

"Doctor, the girl you traveled with before Martha, who was she?"

"Rose, she was Rose." He whispered, eyes pained. Donna left the room, thinking hard. Rose, Rose, it was too similar. She stopped dead at the realization that Emma and Rose were exactly the same. The only difference in age and vulnerability. Emma didn't show it often, but her wounds ran deep. Far deeper than her physical scars, she was much like the Doctor now, very different than he described the Rose he loved and knew.

When Emma woke up, she was silent as he took her to the zero room and left her alone to heal. He felt the Tardis shift course and land. She focused in on Emma and the zero room, as if it was vital that Emma healed again. He and Donna waited and finally after two days, the Tardis returned and Emma opened the door. She was quiet for a moment before she stepped forward and hugged him. He hugged her back just as fiercely. She drew back and looked him in the eye.

"Doctor, I need to see someone, an old friend on earth who might be able to help me with something. Can you take me?"

"Just promise me you won't stay."

"Forever Doctor, I promise."

"Where to?"

"Cardiff, 1869, try October or later."


	5. Chapter 5

He'd worked for Torchwood for about a month now. He hated the job, couldn't stand it. He was pretending to be drunk, trailing after a weird radiation reading when he first saw her. She was simply weaving among a crowd, but her clothes were all wrong. Wrong era, wrong type, she shouldn't have been there.

The second time he saw her. She saved his life, throwing a knife at an alien attacking him. She vanished again.

The third time, he jerked out of death to find himself indoors. It was a theatre closed for the season, but still warm enough for him. He sat up and immediately noticed her. Jeans, white sweater, a pair of red, worn Chuck Taylors, brown hair and a scar across her face. He reached for a weapon And she sighed.

"You don't need a weapon Jack, I'm only delivering a message. "

"Who are you, how do you know me?" He demanded, drawing a gun.

"I'm from your future, I came to give you a few messages and then I have to go."

"Who are you?" He repeated. She sighed and held out three letters to him. He glanced away and she was gone, leaving him with the letters.

One addressed to him with today's date, one addressed to him at another date, centuries away. And the third to... Bad Wolf.

Jack opened the envelope.

 _Dear Jack,_  
 _Time has passed for you as it has for me. Just like you, I was separated from the Doctor. For a very long time, nearly 100 years. I found my way back, but things changed. I don't look the same, I don't feel the same or even act the same. I'm different, very different, another species entirely. You'll see my messenger more and more, the closer it gets to the date on the second letter. Please do not attack her. Her name is Emma. For the second letter, you will need to meet me somewhere, Emma will tell you where. I'll see you then._  
 _Love,_  
 _Rose Tyler_

Rose wasn't wrong, Emma appeared five years later, she went to Torchwood and spoke with my employers. She looked angry.

Emma knew present Jack would see her, but it couldn't be helped.

"I need to speak with you." She told the women. They exchanged looks.

"Name, and reason."

"My name is Rose Tyler." The dragged Emma inside and plopped her down next to another Jack.

"Em-Rose? What are you...oh, you're here for me."

"Precisely."

"Um, you do know they want to kill you, right?"

"Of course they do, but if they kill me now, they'll never get the Doctor." The woman froze.

"The Doctor. Talk."

"Nah, don't feel like it."

"You will."

"Why?"

"You can't threaten me with my death or Jack's, he can't die. You got nothing."

"What do you want?"

"First you're going to listen to Jack, do what he says and then you're going to let me go."

"Why on earth would we do that?"

"Because you won't get the Doctor otherwise. I'm from the future, and the past, you kill me, you'll never get him."

Jack saw Emma every few decades, she saw him sometimes, and sometimes she didn't. He kept the letters close, always. Time passed and Jack got older. He never died, only kept on living. It was painful as hell, watching everyone around him die. The day he came back to the entirety of Torchwood 3, dead. He nearly fell apart. Emma appeared at the end. He screamed at her, wanting her to leave. She didn't. She sank down next to him and pulled him into her arms. He cried into her chest. When he stopped, she helped him put his team to rest. She cleaned Torchwood with him. She was there until he could bear it. He was alone, so very alone, but she smiled softly.

"Not much longer Jack, I promise. So very soon. Remember to avoid yourself too." Jack gave her a small smile.

"Thank you Emma."

"You're welcome."

"Who is Rose to you?"

"She's...she's my sister."

"She's lucky to have you." Emma grinned a familiar smile.

"I know." She hit a switch and vanished. Over time, he gained team members again. Tosh, Susie, Owen. And then Canary Wharf happened. It was them cleaning out Torchwood one before anyone went in. And the last day, he saw the list. Rose Tyler. He felt the wrenching pain every time he heard about Torchwood one. He gained Ianto and asked him about the battle. Ianto had seen them both, Rose and the Doctor.

He knew the date and then a note was left for him.

 _Canary Wharf Memorial, 3 o'clock._

Jack went alone and walked until he found it. He traced her name and then he noticed a familiar figure. Emma. He approached her and she looked up.

"Emma, I thought Rose was supposed to..."

"She is here Jack. She's always been here." Jack stared at her.

"What?"

"You have to know who I am, you and no one else. He can't know me until everything and everyone is lost. Until he knocks four times."

* * *

The succession of events followed much the same as it had always been. The Daleks stole the earth. Emma was the only occupant of the Tardis not onboard. She was left there. She cursed and then went digging for her gun. She had a larger on the inside pocket, one she was careful about using. She also dug for her phone. She couldn't reach the Doctor. She patrolled the streets and scared off some looters. The computer in the shop powered up and Emma jumped back.

"Oh, hello. I didn't expect to see you, who are you?"

"That's Emma." Jack said chuckling. "She and Donna are his companions."

"Yeah, I fall out the Tardis and look back and it's gone."

"I see, I wondered if you might have a way of contacting him?" Emma snorted and Jack grinned.

"Yeah, I could, but it would be kinda hard to explain...oh! I got it!" She reached down and messed with something. She held a phone up and then it started ringing. Jack recognized the phone.

And then he answered. Emma didn't speak but gestured for Jack to do it.

"Doc, can you follow the signal to earth?"

"Yes, hold on!" Several moments passed.

"Blimey! A second out of sync...Jack, this number...how are you calling with it?" Jack didn't know how to answer and then realized what the Doctor meant.

"It's Rose's isn't it?"

"Yeah." And then the Doctor spoke again. "We're here. Hey, you haven't by any chance heard from Emma?" Emma quickly motioned no. Jack repeated her in verbal form.

"No. I'll go find her Doc. Sarah Jane?"

"I'm headed to you Doctor." Sarah Jane said. Emma ended the call and shut down the phone, disabling it completely so he couldn't track it to her. Emma sighed and shut the computer. She could practically feel it coming toward her. The Daleks, they could feel her there and for once, Emma was tempted, tempted to let them, but she couldn't, she had to keep the Doctor alive. She dug out her sonic pen and the Vortex Manipulator she had kept hidden. She began typing rapidly and then she disappeared. She appeared in time to kill the Dalek close to the Tardis and then she vanished again. She killed the one that had cornered Wilfred and Sylvia,hugging them both and telling them to hide at home and to be quiet.

She saved Harriet Jones, blasting the Daleks and then taking the woman to Torchwood Three. She locked down Torchwood and activated the time lock for Jack's team. She swallowed and connected her manipulator to the Crucible. She watched as Jack was killed and Donna and the Doctor taken prisoner. The Tardis was dropped to who knows where, and then she felt it. The Tardis, and she was crying out in pain. She didn't even think before she jumped. The Tardis was burning and Emma knew what she had to do. What she had to do again to save the Doctor from another Dalek Empire. She took a deep breath.

"Alright girl, I know you know it's me. Let me in." The console opened and then Emma was Rose and Rose was Bad Wolf. She piloted the Tardis away and left her on backup to avoid detection. Everything stopped burning, everything was quiet. Rose waved her hand and the Tardis was fixed. The Tardis glowed with happiness. Her Wolf was back, for only a little while for now. Emma smiled up at the ceiling.

"I missed you too. I wasn't ready last time, but I know the risks. I am the Bad Wolf. I am the goddess of time. And the Doctor and his companions are my champions. And you are my sister, Jack is my brother. It's time to save the universe, let's go girl." Gold light swirled through the console room and Emma hid her face with her power. She flew the Tardis to the Crucible, where everyone Tardis landed soundlessly and the door opened, but the Doctor didn't notice either thing happening.

"The Doctor and his children of time, but someone's missing...where is your precious Bad Wolf Doctor?" A hideous creature gloated. Davros. A man who'd spurned her command and had not heeded her warnings. Emma revealed herself, but he couldn't see her face and her voice was not her own.

"I am here Davros."

"Ah, the goddess of time, the abomination, the Bad Wolf. So much power for such a young...creature." She laughed, throwing her head back and then she went dead serious. The prisons vanished and then the Daleks in the room disintegrated, gold atoms pulling them apart before leaving piles of dust. Jack and Mickey armed themselves.

"I take every atom of your existence and I divide them. No Dalek shall escape, none shall be spared. Dalek Caan, go in peace, for only you have obeyed my command. As for you Davros, you disobeyed me. I warned you, so you will know no mercy. This ends, and you, you will be left to a fate of endless suffering. You dared to face my champions, and you lost. I right all wrongs, restore what balance I can, but you will be wiped from the universe." He screamed as golden flames enveloped him and he vanished. The humans were staring at her.

"Peace, champions of time, Mickey Smith, Sarah Jane Smith, Martha Jones, Donna Noble...Jackie Tyler, Jack Harkness and Doctor, my Doctor. You should go, I will see to the planets and the destruction of this place, but first a message.

A wolf only marks its own Doctor,  
And so does time,  
There is something coming,  
Your song is ending, he will knock four times." The Doctor stared.

"Who are you?"

"I have been many and always one." That seemed to frustrate him. "Go Time Lord. We will meet again." She waved her hand and they were all in the console room. When they landed, Jackie went home. She smiled at Mickey, who was staying in the prime universe. "And you tell her when you find her, that we love her, all of us."

"Find who?" The Doctor asked. Jackie looked shocked.

"I thought you knew Doctor. Rose has been missing for two years. She vanished into your universe."

"What?" The Doctor could barely understand and then he looked up suddenly.


	6. Chapter 6

Rose Tyler was here, had been here, the entire time. The Doctor was yanking on his hair in frustration. He had her back and now she was gone again. He'd figured out pretty quickly what Bad Wolf meant. Emma was Bad Wolf, Emma was Rose.

He didn't even hear the door open or Donna come in until she stopped him pacing by getting in his way.

"Doctor?"

"She's been here the whole time, and I'm so stupid! Attacked, by a a wolf! And the writing!"

"Doctor?!" He continued ignoring her.

"And she was looking for me. Knew exactly who I was. She just happened to find Donna..."

"DOCTOR!" Donna screeched and he clapped his hands over his ears, wincing.

"Donna, there is no need to shout."

"Oh shut it. I brought you a note. Emma left it with grandad." He took it gingerly, as if it was precious.

Dear Doctor,  
I imagine things are a little awkward right now, I know you're trying to find me, you're not alone. I'm hiding, to keep myself and you safe. I'll see you again, don't worry. We have time, after all.  
Love,  
Emma

Jack had been back three months when the letter arrived. He opened it.

 _Jack,_  
 _I need you to meet me please, I need help._  
 _Emma_  
 _-I'll remember you forever_

Jack smiled slightly, but it was bitter. He shoved the letter into his pocket and then his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"He's driving me crazy!" Donna complained. Jack blinked in surprise.

"Um...sorry?"

"He won't sit still, refuses to leave, and the Tardis won't cooperate with him. He's practically worn a hole through the grating and if he keeps yanking at his hair he'll have none left!"

"Donna...what are you trying to tell me?"

"Rose, he thinks Emma is Rose."

"Well she is."

"I know, but she said he can't know..."

"You're going to have to drug him, I've got something to make him forget. It's called Retcon."

"You want me to drug the Doctor!"

"Yes, you're right, he can't know about Rose."

"I am going to regret this." Donna mumbled.

"Where are you?" The Tardis started moving and Jack chuckled.

"Never mind, I'll be up in a minute." He came in and Donna took the two pills he gave her.

Donna slipped them into the Doctor's tea. He was oblivious to them and then he fell asleep. When he jumped up the next morning he was his normal self.

"Donna! Where to? We dropped Emma off with Jack right?" She nodded and then they went on another adventure.

Emma shivered as she stood in the chilly weather. She had made up her mind, and knew she had no other choice. She had not meant for it to happen quite like this however. She kept a hand pressed to her body, feeling the blood seeping beneath her fingers. She had been shot, three times. It was a miracle she wasn't dead, but she had asked Jack to meet her here. It was late at night, she had been shot two hours ago. She didn't feel good. She stumbled back, both hands inadvertently slapping against the rock, leaving her bloody handprint. She cursed and then quickly pressed her hand back to her side. She heard him before she saw him. She smiled slightly, and then relaxed her expression, turning to see Jack.

"Emma."

"Jack, thank you."

"Emma, you do realize he's going to keep looking right?"

"I know, I have a way to fix that." She hissed out and Jack's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Emma, are you alright?"

"No, you need to stand back."

"Emma, what... is that blood?" He saw the bloody handprint and then his eyes jumped to her. It was dark and hard to see, but he still realized why her arm was so close. He ignored her telling him to stay back. He pulled her jacket away and the smell of fresh blood hit his nose. He could see three wounds, close together, but still gushing blood. Her fingers pressed tightly to the injury. He sucked in a sharp breath.

"What the HELL happened?!" She flinched and then shoved him back from her. He stumbled and tripped backwards quite far. There was a faint gold sheen to her skin. It grew brighter and then she threw her head back as light engulfed her. When Jack saw her again, he stepped back. She was ginger with pale skin, her eyes were golden and she looked confused.

"God that hurt."

"Did you just..."

"Yeah, I did."

* * *

She looked nothing like Rose or Emma at first, and then he saw some of the similarities. She was more alike than he had realized. She staggered back a step, and gold light escaped her mouth. She sighed and beckoned him.

"Jack?"

"Emma, Rose?"

"I need your help."

"With what?"

"I need to get onto the Tardis, and I need the Doctor to not be there."

"You want to break into the Tardis, the Tardis?"

"I'm not breaking in, she knows I'm coming. I could take my own manipulator, but I kinda left it in my room." Jack sighed. He held out his arm. She typed in the code and he took her.

The Tardis was empty. She sighed and straightened her back. She went to the wardrobe to change first. She came back, wearing a curious locket. She undid the locket and said something in a language the Tardis didn't translate. Complex machines appeared and Rose worked them expertly. She pressed her locket into a hollow and then took a deep breath. She turned to Jack.

"I'm sorry Jack, so sorry, but I can't let you remember my face, not this face." He stared at her, not comprehending. "I can't risk you interfering, because I'm not human anymore Jack, and he can't know or he will suffer."

"Rose, what are you..." Jack stiffened as he felt her disable his manipulator, take him back and then she kissed his cheek, before knocking him unconscious and pouring water down his throat. He heard Gwen yelling and then he blacked out. Gwen stopped short, the woman was gone, but Jack was laid out on the floor, completely asleep. Emma fitted the chameleon arc for human and then she screamed as her body was forced to change, her brain condensing, respiratory bypass and extra heart disappearing. Her time sense, telepathy and bad wolf were all hidden away from her. It changed her memories but left her with enough to remember the necklace and to get herself home and hide her sonic pen and manipulator and some personal effects. The process was complete.  
She took the necklace and clasped it. She took herself back to her apartment. Hid her stuff in a safe with the combination BAD WOLF and then she Retconned herself.

She woke up.

' _Who am I...Oswin, I'm Oswin, Oswin Rose James...from London. I'm 24...I'm a teacher at a primary school. Yes that was right, perfectly right'_

Oswin was up early for school. It was her first day. All the children were lovely, and she did quite well. Oswin, or Miss Smith was very patient, kind and generous as well as brilliant. She was a sweet girl, but she wasn't interested in anyone. She did her work, shopped, went home and read. She was pretty and much too brilliant to be a teacher, but she loved it. She didn't draw attention, didn't want it. She simply liked kids, liked teaching them.

The Doctor and Donna returned to a near exhausted Tardis. Neither had any clue what had happened. They stopped in Cardiff for fuel and then Wilfred called.

"Doctor, Donna, you should come back." They did and then the Doctor left for a bit to see the Ood. The things they showed him, their bad dreams horrified him. The Master, he was back.

The Ood asked him other things, things about a lonely woman, a woman in a cage. The Doctor explained the Master's wife, and then he raced back, trying to track down the Master. It was him and Wilfred who discovered the Master.

The Doctor was chasing the mad, dangerous Time Lord, but he didn't catch him. No instead he was knocked out as unknown people took the Master away. He woke up, but the Master was gone.

* * *

 _'And so it came to pass that the players took their final places. Making ready the events that were to come. A madman sat in his empire of dust and ashes. Little knowing of the glory he would achieve. While his savior looked upon the wilderness in the hope of changing his inevitable fate. Far away, the idiots and fools dreamt of a shining new future. A future now doomed to never happen. As Earth rolled onwards into night the people of that world did sleep. And shiver. Somehow knowing the dawn would bring only one thing. The Final Day.'_

* * *

Oswin had a headache, it had been building all day and she swore she could hear whispers. She took another pain reliever and then sighed, the last bell rang, so she was going home. She laid down to try and sleep, but her dreams were fitful, full of a man in brown pinstripes with really great hair. He was pretty, but there was a terrifying man. He was always hungry, always his skeleton showing with flashes of electricity. It scared her, scared her more than her dream of the red planet in the sky. She only had one class the next day, one hour before everyone around her began to change. She ran, hiding herself away. She started to cry as they all became the same. In her pocket, her phone powered on and called the last number it had, the phone in the Doctor's pocket. It rang, silencing the Master who gawked.

"Who is calling you, doctor?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, because I am every human on this earth, no one could possibly be calling you, so who is it?" The Doctor shrugged. The Master fished out the phone and then answered.

"Hello."

"H-Hello?" The voice was female, shaky and soft.

"What are you?"

"I'm human, but everyone else, everyone is..."

"Me?" Three Master duplicates snarled as they found her hiding place. She screamed.

"Bring her to me."

The Doctor waited anxiously, worried about the unknown person. The door opened finally and a young woman was pushed in. She looked completely human, but it was impossible to tell for sure. The Masters shoved her down in a chair next to Wilfred, facing the Doctor.

"Now, I'm the Master. This is the Doctor and Wilfred Noble. Who are you?"

"I'm Oswin James," she began.

"Job?"

"Teacher, I teach primary school."

"Yes, I saw. Now what are you, you're not human."

"I am human." She insisted, panic and confusion evident. The Doctor was focused on her face, studying her. She was ginger, her face pale, but her eyes were near golden, almost like the Time Vortex. He continued studying her while the Master questioned her. His eyes fell to a necklace, and he froze. Her locket, oh he knew those symbols well. She wore a Gallifreyan locket, much like the pocket watches the Doctor and the Master had used. The Master didn't notice the two other aliens that were too tall to be him sneak up beside him. The Doctor took his chance.

"The Gate wasn't enough. You're still dying."

"This body was born out of death. All it can do is die. But what did you say to me, back in the wasteland? You said the end of time."

"I said something is returning. I was shown a prophecy. That's why I need your help."

"What if I'm part of it? Don't you see? The drumbeat is calling from so far away. From the end of time itself. And now it's been amplified six billion times. Triangulate all those signals. I could find its source. Oh, Doctor. That's what your prophecy was. Me!" He slapped the Doctor and Oswin gasped.

"Where's the Tardis?"

"No. Just stop. Just think."

"Kill him." The Master pointed to Wilfred.

"I need that technology, Doctor. Tell me where it is, or the old man is dead."

"Don't tell him!" Wilf shouted.

"I'll kill him right now!" The Master threatened.

"Actually, the most impressive thing about you is that after all this time, you're still bone dead stupid." The Doctor looked amused.

"Take aim." The Master was smirking.

"You've got six billion pairs of eyes, but you still can't see the obvious, can you?"

"Like what?"

"That guard is one inch too tall." The guard in question Swung his gun into the Master's head before pulling his helmet off. His head was green and spiky.

"Oh my God, I hit him. I've never hit anyone in my life." Oswin shrieked in alarm.

"Well, come on. We need to get out of here fast." Another green alien said, releasing Oswin and Wilfred.

"God bless the cactuses!"

"That's cacti."

"That's racist!" One protested.

"Come on! We've got to get out." The other insisted.

"There's too many buckles and straps."

"Just wheel him."

"No, no, no. Get me out. No, no, no, don't. Don't! No, no, no."

Oswin reached down and snatched a knife, ripping through the straps. She caught the Doctor as he fell forward. He stood straight, grabbing her and Wilf and charging for the Tardis. Oswin was surprisingly violent for a teacher. The real Master appeared and Oswin reacted, punching him in the nose. He groaned, grabbing his bleeding nose. The Doctor pulled her and Wilfred around. Oswin turned and tripped, backing into the Tardis. The door opened and she fell inside. The Doctor and Wilf charged inside, shutting the door and locking it. Wilfred helped Oswin up while the Doctor desperately worked the controls to get them away. They took off and Oswin ended up on the floor, again. At least this time she landed on a squishy floor instead of hard grating. The Doctor helped her up this time, settling her on the jump seat. He sat down next to her, and she jumped. He lifted the necklace from her throat.

"I take it you haven't opened it?" She shook her head in answer. He nodded.

"Listen to me, I don't know how it's possible you got here or who you were before, but if the Master succeeds, if I fail, I need you to open the locket, take the Tardis and run, promise me?" She nodded hesitantly. He gave her a soft smile. He stood, bringing up the scanner. The Master's face appeared and he was grinning madly.

"A star fell from the sky, don't you want to know where from? Because now it makes sense Doctor, the whole of my life, my destiny...the star is a diamond and the diamond is a Whitepoint star."


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor was driving recklessly. Oswin was gripping the console tightly.

"What's he on about? What's he doing? Doctor, what does that mean?" Wilf questioned, holding to the railing.

"A Whitepoint star is only found on one planet. Gallifrey. Which means it's the Time Lords. The Time Lords are returning."

"Well, I mean, that's good, isn't it? I mean, that's your people." Wilf didn't understand how it could be bad, but Oswin was starting to.

"But you said your people were dead. Past tense."

"Inside the Time War. And the whole War was Timelocked. Like, sealed inside a bubble. It's not a bubble but just think of a bubble. Nothing can get in or get out of the Timelock. Don't you see? Nothing can get in or get out, except something that was already there."

"The signal, the drums in his head." Oswin whispered.

"If they can follow the signal, they can escape before they die."

"Well, then, big reunion. We'll have a party."

"There will be no party." The Doctor's voice was dark.

"But I've heard you talk about your people like they're wonderful."

"That's how I choose to remember them, the Time Lords of old. But then they went to war. An endless war, and it changed them right to the core. You've seen my enemies, Wilf. The Time Lords are more dangerous than any of them."

"Time Lords?" Oswin asked softly. The Doctor looked at her puzzled face.

"You know the word, but you don't know how, right?"

"Yes, I can't remember..."

"How old are you?"

"124." She blinked in surprise and so did he.

"You're young still, a teenager."

"124! She's older than me!" Wilf exclaimed.

"True, but Time Lords and Ladies, they live much longer than humans, I'm 905. Some of the elders could be 2000 years old." The Doctor said, and then the Tardis landed roughly. He turned to Oswin and grabbed her upper arms.

"If this goes the way I think it will, then you'll have to open the locket, you have to stop Gallifrey from coming here. And if I die," he took her hand and jabbed her with a needle.

"Ow!" She snatched her hand back.

"The Tardis will be yours, she'll automatically connect if I die permanently. She's old, but she'll get you where you need to go." Impulsively he kissed her forehead. "Stay here with Wilf." She did, figuring out how to work the scanner. She saw all the Masters cackling as Gallifrey descended and then the high council appeared. She saw it starting to go badly. She turned to Wilfred.

"Do you know where the bathroom is?" He nodded and began to lead her, and then she locked the bolt of a door he'd gone through and she ran. She burst from the Tardis, shutting the door with a snap. It locked and she dodged several Masters before they all froze and she ran faster, she was panting when she reached the room with the immortality gate. The Doctor stood between the Master and the high council. A woman caught her eye, she was peeking from behind her hands, face covered as if weeping. Oswin calmed her breathing and then stepped out into the doorway and partway inside. The Doctor and Master were arguing, but the foremost man had cut himself off, mid sentence.

"But, I did this! I get the credit! I'm on your side!...But this is fantastic, isn't it? The Time Lords restored."

"You weren't there in the final days of the War. You never saw what was born. But if the Timelock's broken, then everything's coming through. Not just the Daleks, but the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-have-been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres. The War turned into hell. And that's what you've opened, right above the Earth. Hell is descending."

"My kind of world."

"Even the Time Lords can't survive that."

"We will initiate the Final Sanction. The end of time will come at my hand. The rupture will continue until it rips the Time Vortex apart."

"That's suicide!" The Master shouted.

"We will ascend to become creatures of consciousness alone. Free of these bodies, free of time, and cause and effect, while creation itself ceases to be." Rassilon said

"You see now? That's what they were planning in the final days of the War. I had to stop them." And the Doctor suddenly pointed a revolver at Rassilon.

"Choose your enemy well. We are many. The Master is but one."

"But he's the President. Kill him, and Gallifrey could be yours." He turned on the Master. "He's to blame, not me. Oh, the link is inside my head. Kill me, the link gets broken, they go back. You never would, you coward. Go on then. Do it!" He aimed back at Rassilon. "It's not just me, it's him. He's the link. Kill him!

"The final act of your life is murder. But which one of us?" Rassilon said calmly and then he froze looking behind both men. He stepped down suddenly, as if in disbelief. Both the Doctor and Master stepped back in alarm, but he wasn't even paying attention.

"There's a third, how is it possible?" He whispered, the girl was silent, staring wide eyed. And then a woman spoke from the council.

"You can't recognize your own daughter Rassilon? For shame." He turned and then his eyes focused on Oswin. She didn't move as he approached her, but still shifted unsteadily. He stopped and raised his hand, hesitating before taking the locket and flipping it over.

"Arkytior." He whispered, "of the house of Rassilon." Everyone was staring, and Oswin looked completely confused. The Doctor came to her other side.

"Open the locket, it will all make sense." He said softly. She did and the pain was brief, but made her partly collapse. Both Rassilon and the Doctor caught her.

"Oh my head. Oh." She said looking around. "Right. Continue." Rassilon eyed her curiously.

"I do not understand. I had no children, it was not possible."

"What about before you overthrew Pythia?" The Doctor questioned.

"No...perhaps it is possible. If she was born half-human..." Oswin nodded.

"I was born human, was human for 19 years. And then I was more. Looking at the heart of a Tardis does that, right Doctor?" Both the Doctor and Master were gaping at her.

"Rose? Rose Tyler?"

"And Emma Smith and Oswin James and Arkytior Rassilon and the Bad Wolf."

* * *

He couldn't believe it for a moment, and then he could. The entirety of the high council was staring at Oswin. She blinked, eyes flaring with gold light.

"The Bad Wolf..." Rassilon said in wonder. He bowed slightly and returned to his place. He nodded and then opened his mouth slightly. He seized the Master's arm and dragged him with him to gateway. The Master shot out blindly. Rage clouding his senses. Oswin dove out of the way, and the shot hit the Whitepoint diamond, shattering it and taking the high council and Gallifrey back to the time lock. Wilf knocked four times on the glass of the operating booth. Oswin snatched a screwdriver up and unlocked the door, letting Wilf out. She knew what the Doctor would do, but he didn't have any re-generations to waste. She turned and surprised him, pulling him down by his tie to kiss him. And then she gave him a look.

"I love you, I'm sorry." She punched him and he fell back, tripping. She dropped the screwdriver and entered the booth, closing the door. Her hand came down on the lock and the radiation funneled into the booth. She stood straight, trembling. And then someone slammed down the button on the other side. The radiation was funneled into both. She was horrified to see the Doctor staring at her, grimly. He pressed a hand up against the window between them and she did the same. He'd absorbed most of the radiation, but she had some and she wasn't as lucky as he thought. They both tumbled out of the booths, falling. He moved closer to her, pulling her to him as the glass doors shattered. He kept her face protected, but it didn't matter. The Master had been smarter than they realized, he had hurt the one thing that would matter to both the Doctor and Rassilon. He kept his face pressed into her hair, and his arms wrapped around her. And he felt it. Her side was wet with blood. He drew back in horror. She gave him a small smile and he realized how much like Rose she looked. He kissed her gently.

"I love you too. Now, before we go, we need to say our goodbyes."

"What about Donna?" Wilfred asked. The Doctor looked up at him sadly.

"I can't take her with me Wilfred. I'm dying. We both are, the energy we're holding onto, is too dangerous. We'll come back, but not right away."

"She'll be alright anyway, I sent Lee to find her."

"Lee? As in the Lee from the library?" She nodded. He grinned and picked some glass from her hair. They stood and she hissed in pain. He grimaced. Oswin looked at Wilf, she gave him a brief hug.

"Thank you." She drew back and the Doctor wiggled his fingers. She grinned and took his hand. They went to the Tardis.

"Who do we need to see?" She asked. He gave her a small smile.

"Donna and Lee." They did, stopping briefly to say goodbye. Donna never noticed them, but it was her wedding.

They stopped to see Jack and say goodbye. Oswin held him tightly, crying softly. They left him with a man named Alonso.

Sarah Jane was next. Oswin dashed out to knock Luke out of the way of a speeding car, the Doctor beside her. They waved goodbye to Sarah Jane.

Mickey and Martha were last. They were fighting Sontarans. The Doctor and Oswin smiled seeing the couple kiss. They took down the rogue Sontaran and waved goodbye. Mickey and Martha were shocked to see someone with the Doctor. They could see the gold tracing through both the Doctor and Oswin's veins. Martha was crying, happy.

"He isn't alone, he's got someone to spend his life with." She said through the tears. They went back to the Tardis together and moved apart. And then everything exploded. Fire ripped through them and exploded in the console room in dramatic bursts of fire. Rose fell first, and then Doctor followed not long after. They both jerked upright as the Tardis tumbled through the air, falling from the vortex.


	8. Chapter 8

The Tardis was on fire, sparking and spinning out of control. The Doctor tumbled out the door, and Rose barely pulled him back inside to avoid a spire. They tumbled through the sky over London and beyond, further and further. They crashed and the Tardis tipped over. Rose caught the edge of the railing, close to the door. She hand an anchor with a rope attached to it in the other hand. She shoved the door open and threw the hook. The rope stretched all the way to the pool which was currently in the library. She tugged and when it held, climbed out of the Tardis. The Doctor wasn't far behind. He flopped on the ground while she sat on the edge of the Tardis.

"How do I look?"

"Different."

"Am I..."

"No, you're not ginger."

"Aw. Ooh, but you are. Absolutely beautiful!" She blushed as he ran his hands through her hair.

"Can I kiss you now?" She giggled at his innocent question. She leaned in and kissed him softly once. And then they heard a door open. A little girl came running toward them.

"Could I have an apple? All I can think about. Apples. I love apples. Maybe I'm having a craving? That's new. Never had cravings before."

"Give him a banana too." Rose said giggling.

"Whoa. Look at that." He said wobbling as he stood straight.

"Are you okay?"

"Just had a fall. All the way down there, right to the library. Hell of a climb back up."

"You're soaking wet." The girl noticed.

"I was in the swimming pool."

"You said you were in the library."

"So was the swimming pool." Rose said grinning.

"Are you a policeman?"

"Why? Did you call a policeman?" The Doctor asked, completely serious.

"Did you come about the crack in my wall?"

"What crack? Argh!" He tumbled to the ground.

"Are you all right, mister?"

"No, I'm fine. It's okay. This is all perfectly norm..." golden energy came out of his mouth.

"For him." Rose muttered and then comes gold energy of her own.

"Who are you?"

"I don't know yet. I'm still cooking."

"Ain't that the truth."

"Does it scare you?" He asked, ignoring Rose.

"No, it just looks a bit weird."

"No, no, no. The crack in your wall. Does it scare you?"

"Yes."

"Well then, no time to lose. I'm the Doctor. Do everything I tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and don't wander off. Rose? Hand please."

"Why?"

"So you can't wander off. That's what you're best at." He said with a wink. She took his hand, laughing. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple and followed the girl into her house, and onto a new adventure.

The End


End file.
